Cricket: Patel’s unbeaten knock helps Kuwait take 2-1 lead – Gulf Digital News

Cricket: Patel’s unbeaten knock helps Kuwait take 2-1 lead – Gulf Digital News

A SCINTILLATING, unbeaten knock of 75 from just 47 balls by wicketkeeper-batter, Usman Patel, propelled Kuwait to a convincing five-wicket win over Bahrain last night in the third T20I between the two teams at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman.

Patel smashed six fours and four sixes in his career-best T20I score after coming in at 35 for two in the fourth over to help his team overhaul Bahrain’s total of 153 for six with 14 balls to spare.

The win takes Kuwait 2-1 up in the five-match series.

Patel, who scored a half-century in the previous match as well, looked in supreme touch, making light of a mid-innings stumble by Kuwait as they slumped to 54 for four in the sixth over, to then punish the Bahraini bowlers at will.

Kuwait captain, Mohammed Aslam was content to play second-fiddle to Patel in a fifth-wicket partnership of 56 in just over seven overs before he fell to Waseeq Ahmed for 18 with the score at 110 for five.

Patel, then, shifted gears, hammering Ahmed for two successive boundaries off the last two balls of the same over, before carting the hapless Imran Khan, on debut, for two successive sixes in the very next over.

Suddenly,